All are welcome? Really?

This past Saturday I headed down to Iowa for my cousin’s wedding.  It’s been a while since I attended a full Catholic wedding and I couldn’t help but compare the hour long service to the Lutheran version that takes half that time.  I followed along with the unwritten words of the liturgy quite well, though the slight differences made me realize that I needed to speak my portions quietly so I didn’t stand out! 

In many ways I felt right at home in that worship service…at least until the time for communion arrived.  As is tradition, the priest informed the congregation that only members of the Catholic Church were welcome to come and receive the body and blood of Christ.  Others could come for a blessing, but that’s all.  His words quickly made me feel like a second class citizen, unwelcome to join in an important part of the service.  As a person firmly grounded in faith it annoyed me a bit (I’ll get over it!), but I wonder how others interpreted the exclusion.  What about those who struggled in faith and wondered if this Jesus really could love them?  The message came through loud and clear: you are not good enough to receive this!

Ironically, the Jesus present in that mass is that one who said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”  People who have failed God are the ones who most need to come to the altar and receive Jesus’ body and blood.  I can’t think of a single person in that building who did not need that word spoken to them!

The church is not an exclusive club that only offers ‘benefits’ to those who deserve them.  The Jesus who comes to us in the mass is the one who ate with prostitutes and other ‘undesirables.’  Jesus came bringing hope and forgiveness to many that the good ‘church folk’ wanted nothing to do with.  Jesus didn’t wait until people acted right or until they joined the right synagogue.  Jesus welcomed them where they were and invited them to follow Him.  Jesus healed…forgave…loved!

We have a Lord who stands with arms outstretched, ready to welcome ALL people.  It’s not our job to serve as gatekeepers to decide who is worthy to receive God’s gifts.  Our task is to proclaim and model that love that God has for this world.

How can God’s church live out that kind of radical hospitality?  We begin with words, proclaiming God’s call to ALL people.  These words from a Catholic parish in Daytona say it well:

We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, filthy rich, dirt poor, yo no habla Ingles. We extend a special welcome to those who are crying new-borns, skinny as a rail or could afford to lose a few pounds.

We welcome you if you can sing like Andrea Bocelli or like our pastor who can’t carry a note in a bucket. You’re welcome here if you’re “just browsing,” just woke up or just got out of jail. We don’t care if you’re more Catholic than the Pope, or haven’t been in church since little Joey’s Baptism.

We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome soccer moms, NASCAR dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems or you’re down in the dumps or if you don’t like “organized religion,” we’ve been there too.

If you blew all your offering money at the dog track, you’re welcome here. We offer a special welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or because grandma is in town and wanted to go to church.

We welcome those who are inked, pierced or both. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down your throat as a kid or got lost in traffic and wound up here by mistake. We welcome tourists, seekers and doubters, bleeding hearts … and you!

These are great words, but we can’t stop there.  Our call as followers of Jesus is to ‘be Christ’ to those around us, and that means welcoming all to fully participate in what God does in the world.  My congregation will always have an open table for communion.  Jesus is the host…we simply give what Jesus has already given to us: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation!  To those ‘on the fringes’ and wondering if this Jesus can be for them, we loudly proclaim, “Given and shed FOR YOU!”  No prerequisites…just a loving God coming to work in the lives of God’s children!